Pulpit and communion table



Jan. 9, 1968 J. .1. FONTANA 3,362,766

PULPIT AND COMMUNION TABLE Filed July 28, 1966 .IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent O 3,362,766 PULPIT AND COMMUNION TABLE Joseph J.Fontana, 622 Huron Road, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80910 Filed July 28,1966, Ser. No. 568,570 1 Claim. (Cl. 312-33) This invention relates toreligious devices, and more particularly a pulpit and communion table.

It is therefore the main purpose of this invention to provide a pulpitand communion table which is designed to be used in hospitals, militarybases, homes or other places Where religious services have to beperformed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pulpit and communiontable which is easily transportable and is adapted to be stored in alimited space.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pulpit and communiontable which includes means for hingedly attaching the communion table tothe front panel of said pulpit thereby providing additional flexibilityin accordance with this invention.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a pulpit andcommunion table which is of sturdy construction, is easy to assemble andprovides maximum utility to the clergyman.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent froma consideration of the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactoryembodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includesall such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plane view of this invention as shown in FIGURE 1 withthe portions being broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of this invention when in operative use;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of this invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the hinge connection of thetable top to the pulpit;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary detail showing in side View the hingearrangement of the cross to the table top.

According to this invention, a pulpit and communion table 10 is providedwith a front panel 11. The top portion of panel 11 is secured to adownwardly disposed top panel 12 which provides supporting and holdingmeans to the contents, such as Bible, prayer books, etc. (not shown),generally being disposed on panel 12. The bot tom-most portion of panel12 is provided with an elongated, transversely disposed stop memberwhich is designed to prevent the above-mentioned items from slidingdownwardly or falling off the top panel .12. A pair of side portions 13enclose rear portion of pulpit 10. A base 14 is designed to supportpulpit 10 and, in addition, to provide means for the clergyman so thathe may observe the congregation from an elevated position. Atransversely disposed hinge 15 suitably secures the bottom portion of3,362,766 Patented Jan. 9, 1968 the front panel 11 with a communiontable or platform 16.

As it may be seen from the drawing, an ornamental cross 17 is hingedlysecured at 18 to the front panel 16. When in operative use, cross 17 mayassume a vertical position (see FIGURE 4) and thereby provide supportmeans to the free end of panel 16. Furthermore, a lock latch member 19is provided for securing the bottom portion of said cross to panel 16when said panel assumes a vertical position. In addition, hinge 15 isdisposed from base 14 at a height identical with the height of cross 17and the thickness of panel 16.

What I now claim is:

1. In a pulpit and communion table, the combination of a base, a pulpitsupported upon said base and a pair of side portions, each of said sideportions comprising a generally L-shaped fence, one of which is securedadjacent each side of said pulpit and also supported upon said base,supporting a forwardly pivotable communion table, said base, supportinga forwardly pivotable communion table, said base comprising an elevatedplatform of generally rectangular configuration having a forward andrear wall and parallel side walls supporting 3. rectangular flooringthereupon, said pulpit comprising an upstanding front wall, anupstanding side wall adjacent each side of said front wall, arearwardly, downwardly inclined top wall forming a support for holding aBible or prayer book, a horizontally extending hinge secured near alower edge of said front wall, said communion table being secured alongone edge to said hinge, said communion table in retracted position beingpivoted upwardly adjacent the front side of said front wall, a crossconfigurated leg hingedly secured at its upper end to a central portionof the front side of said communion table, said cross configurated legsupporting said communion table in a horizontal position when saidcommunion table is pivoted downwardly about said horizontal hinge, saidleg having a length equal to the heighth of said horizontal hinge from alower edge of said base, and said pulpit being secured relatively closeto a front edge of said base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 470,319 3/1892 Emmelen 3 l2-33 X689,295 12/ 1901 Dugan 297-187 1,794,109 2/ 1931 Eckert. 2,522,2109/1950 Cohen 312-33 2,598,128 5/1952 Liechty 10213 3,011,848 12/1961Hasson 312-33 3,120,410 2/1964 Berg 312-33 3,123,414 3/1964 Rupp 31233FOREIGN PATENTS 1,091,957 4/1955 France.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Examiner.

G. O. FIN CH, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A PULPIT AND COMMUNION TABLE, THE COMBINATION OF A BASE, A PULPITSUPPORTED UPON SAID BASE AND A PAIR OF SIDE PORTIONS, EACH OF SAID SIDEPORTIONS COMPRISING A GENERALLY L-SHAPED FENCE, ONE OF WHICH IS SECUREDADJACENT EACH SIDE OF SAID PULPIT AND ALSO SUPPORTED UPON SAID BASE,SUPPORTING A FORWARDLY PIVOTABLE COMMUNION TABLE, SAID BASE, SUPPORTINGA FORWARDLY PIVOTABLE COMMUNION TABLE, SAID BASE COMPRISING AN ELEVATEDPLATFORM OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION HAVING A FORWARD ANDREAR WALL AND PARALLEL SIDE WALLS SUPPORTING A RECTANGULAR FLOORINGTHEREUPON, SAID PULP COMPRISING AN UPSTANDING FRONT WALL, AN UPSTANDINGSIDE WALL ADJACENT EACH SIDE OF SAID FRONT WALL, A REARWARDLY,DOWNWARDLY INCLINED TOP WALL FORMING A SUPPORT FOR HOLDING A BIBLE ORPRAYER BOOK, A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING HINGE SECURED NEAR A LOWER EDGE OFSAID FRONT WALL, SAID COMMUNION TABLE BEING SECURED ALONG ONE EDGE TOSAID HINGE, SAID COMMUNION TABLE IN RETRACTED POSITION BEING PIVOTEDUPWARDLY ADJACENT THE FRONT SIDE OF SAID FRONT WALL, A CROSSCONFIGURATED LEG HINGEDLY SECURED AT ITS UPPER END TO A CENTRAL PORTIONOF THE FRONT SIDE OF SAID COMMUNION TABLE, SAID CROSS CONFIGURATED LEGSUPPORTING SAID COMMUNIION TABLE IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION WHEN SAIDCOMMUNION TABLE IIS PIVOTED DOWNWARDLY ABOUT SAID HORIZONTAL HINGE, SAIDLEG HAVING A LEG EQUAL TO THE HEIGHT OF SAID HORIZONTAL HINGE FROM ALOWER EDGE OF SAID BASE, AND SAID PULPIT BEING SECURED RELATIVELY CLOSETO A FRONT EDGE OF SAID BASE.